Biliary tract cancers (BTC) comprise malignant tumors of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Known risk factors for BTC are the liver flukes O. viverrini and C. sinensis in high prevalence endemic regions in southeast Asia [1]-[3], as well as primary sclerosing cholangitis [4]-[7], Caroli's disease [8], hepatitis B and hepatitis C [9]-[14], obesity [13], hepatolithiasis [15], [16] and thorotrast contrast exposure [17], [18]. Surgical approaches such as resection and liver transplantation represent the only curative treatment approaches for BTC [19].
Unfortunately, most patients present with surgically unresectable and/or metastatic disease at diagnosis. Systemic therapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin has been established as the standard of care for patients with advanced disease, but is only palliative [20], emphasizing the imminent need for novel therapies.